Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 13th, 2002
Synopsis
Meredith Monroe is the rich girl who's been breezing through life. Mia Kirshner is the poor girl for whom life is a struggle. Thrown together for a sociology project, they find that each has something the other needs, and dangerous wheels are set in motion. All of this is recounted in flashback, as Sheriff Taye Diggs (looking a bit young for the role) investigates the cause of Kirshner's near-fatal drug overdose.
Audio
Good, crisp sound, with decent surround for bo...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 9th, 2002
Synopsis
Driving through the middle of nowhere, Ben, his daughter KT, and his girlfriend Nicky arrive in a strange little town. It turns out that arriving here is much easier than leaving. And that's all I'm going to tell you, other than to say that, as the title says, Satanism is at work here. Do not read the summary on the DVD's case, which gives absolutely everything away. Hit the film cold, and you'll be impressed by a knockout opening, some truly eerie moments, and a compelling sense of darkness...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 7th, 2002
Synopsis
“A white school teacher takes over a talented, but undisciplined black high school basketball team and turns them into a winning team.” – Columbia-Tristar
Audio
This film contains a very good Hip-Hop soundtrack. The base is substantial during the music sequences, and the surrounds are used effectively during these scenes as well. As just stated, the 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack was effective for the music, but did not do much in terms of the film. The surrounds were n...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 24th, 2002
Synopsis
The Littles (Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis) head off to the local orphanage to adopt a child. Their son George (Jonathan Lipnicki) is hoping for a little brother, but what he gets is considerably smaller than he had in mind: talking mouse Stuart (voice of Michael J. Fox). We follow Stuart's misadventures as he adapts to his new family, and they adapt to him. Nathan Lane does the voice of Snowball, the very put-out cat.
Audio
The sound is very clear, and Alan Sil...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 22nd, 2002
”Movin’ on up". The Jeffersons did just that… all the way up to become one of the highest rated and longest running sitcoms in television history. There have been many memorable African-American television characters… but who could forget George and Weezy Jefferson? These characters will live on forever, and this set helps to continue there legacy.
Audio
In 1975, when this series began it illustrious run, surround sound was not even an after-thought. That being said, it is very u...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 17th, 2002
Jet Li is the “Contract Killer” (“Sat sau ji wong”) in this direct from Hong Kong 1998 martial arts thriller. Budget? Nope. Plot? Not really. Jet Li? Definitely. This movie is dubbed, and the comedic voices are almost worth the price of admission, especially when they keep switching at various points through the movie. Its really amusing to see Jet Li change from normal to baritone from one scene to another, and its great listening to the “Kwan” character, who’s voice seems to have been done by a young Jason Alexande...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 25th, 2002
Synopsis
It's a musical. It's called 1776. What do you think it could be about? That's right: the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence, with all the major figures of the time (John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson) singing up a storm. The production is extremely handsome. I do think, however, that you the events have to be part of your history for the film to really get your juices flowing.
Audio
As part of the restoration process, the original mon...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2002
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Carlos is brought to a dilapidated boarding school. He is struck by the odd sight of a bomb standing in the middle of the courtyard. But even more unnerving is the ghost of a young boy that soon makes its presence known. Unravelling the mystery of this ghost isn't Carlos' only problem however. There are bullies in the school, and the brutal handyman has his eye on the gold in the safe. Said handyman is determined to get at the gold, and doesn't care who gets hurt (or worse) i...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 16th, 2002
Exceptional! Starship Troopers (Special Edition) is a must have in any movie fanatics collection. Combine a controversial cinematic and special effects masterpiece with a superb DVD release, and Columbia-Tristar has a sure winner in its catalog.
Paul Verhoeven’s (RoboCop, Total Recall, Showgirls, Hollowman) 1997 adaptation of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers is stunning not only for its Academy Award nominated special effects, but also for the volume of controversy that the film elicited amongst c...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 5th, 2002
Synopsis
State police officer Inayat Khan's son is critically injured in a fall and dies because doctors, intimidated by a terrorist's threat, refuse to treat him. Khan launches an assault on the terrorist, and during the battle guns down the family of 11-year-old Altaaf. Khan and his wife adopt Altaaf, whose new life is shattered when he discovers Khan's role in the loss of his parents. Ten years later, Altaaf is now a terrorist working for the deeply sinister Hilal Kohistani, who has sent him on a ...
